US President Donald Trump has made it clear that his administration will not consider a temporary halt on tariffs during ongoing trade talks with other countries. His comments come at a time when global markets are already reacting to America’s tough stance on trade.
Speaking at the White House on Monday during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said, “We’re not looking at that,” when asked about the possibility of ‘pausing’ tariffs during negotiations.
Reiterating his commitment to reworking international trade agreements, Trump said the US is determined to strike ‘fair’ deals. “We have many countries that are to negotiate deals with us, and they’re going to be fair deals, and in certain cases, they’re going to be paying substantial tariffs. They’ll be fair deals,” he said.
The President defended his aggressive tariff strategy as necessary to fix what he described as long-standing trade imbalances and growing national debt. “We have 36 trillion dollars of debt for a reason,” Trump noted, blaming previous US administrations for poor trade policies.
Trump also took aim at China for raising tariffs in response to the US, warning of further action. “If that tariff isn’t removed by tomorrow at 12 o’clock, we’re putting a 50 per cent on above the tariffs that we put on. They’ve become a rich country because of people who were in the White House,” he said. This comes after China imposed a 34 per cent retaliatory tariff on US products.
Despite his criticisms, Trump stressed he still values his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I have a great relationship with President Xi. I hope it’s going to stay that way. I have great respect for China, but they can’t do this. We’re just going to have one shot at this, and no other president is going to do this. And I’ll tell you what: it’s an honour to do it because we have been just destroyed,” he said.
When asked whether some tariffs might be removed while others remain in place, Trump said both scenarios are possible. “They can both be true. There could be permanent tariffs, and there could also be negotiations.”
He also made it clear that the US would walk away from countries unwilling to offer fair terms. “We’re going to get fair deals and good deals with every country — and if we don’t, we’re going to have nothing to do with them,” he said.
Trump didn’t spare the European Union either. He accused the EU of forming a bloc that gives it an unfair advantage in trade. “The EU has been very tough over the years. It was formed to do damage to the United States in trade… They don’t take our cars like Japan. They don’t take our agricultural product; they do anything practically. They’re sending millions and millions of cars into the US, but we don’t have a car that’s been sold to the European Union or other places,” he said.
Responding to Trump’s criticism, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is open to dialogue but also prepared to respond. In a post on X, she said, “Europe is ready to negotiate with the US. We have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods. Because we’re always ready for a good deal. But we’re also prepared to respond with countermeasures. And protect ourselves against indirect effects through trade diversion.”
(With ANI inputs)
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